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The captains were elected by a vote of their teammates. Jones said Kamara's vote total was impressive.

"He's earned it,'' Jones said. "From day one coming in here, he earned the respect immediately of his peers just by his work ethic.

"He's invested in the program. He's invested in everything. When you look at it from a recruiting standpoint, he always wants to host recruits. He wants to be involved.''

Kamara's outgoing personality is as obvious as his skill with a football in his hands. A 5-foot-10 tailback, Kamara rushed for 698 yards in 2015 in a complementary role to Jalen Hurd.

He also caught 34 passes, which makes him the leading returning receiver on the team. He returned a punt for a touchdown in his spare time.

Quotable, quick with a smile, Kamara is a favorite with the media. He's apparently a favorite with his teammates, too.

And he's come a long way in a couple of years. Kamara was a coveted signee out of Norcross, Ga., in 2013 His one year at Alabama was distinguished by a preseason injury and two suspensions.

Talented or not, Kamara shipped out after a year to Hutchinson, on the plains of Kansas. There, he said, he did some big-league growing up.

"From freshman Alabama Alvin to now ...'' Kamara paused to chuckle. "I'm already a character right now. But then it was immaturity, I would think, to sum it up.''

Alabama Alvin wasn't focused on the details. Tennessee Alvin is.

"He's been great for the locker room,'' Jones said, "because he's been in a couple of programs. So he can kind of give guidance.

"A lot of times he's the voice that says, 'Hey, you guys have it pretty special here. You better understand that.' ''

Kamara says he now understands that his biggest contribution isn't necessarily converting a third down. It's not all about Alvin. It's about converting his teammates.

"That's what it takes,'' he said, "you've got to make the people around you better. I know these three guys will tell you, it's really about radiating. Radiate what you've got. Put it onto another guy. That's really what makes a team.''

This team is playing for high stakes in 2016. But first it has to get through the summer without the kind of distractions that can waylay the best-made plans.

The captains are tasked with radiating leadership. Freshman Alabama Alvin would not have been up to the challenge. His teammates are betting that Tennessee Alvin is.